1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an input device, and more particularly, to an input device with a fulcrum installed in the middle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Please refer to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. FIG. 1 is an exploded diagram of an input device, and FIG. 2 is a sectional view of an input device according to the prior art. The input device 10 is set on the back plane 18, a cylinder actuator 12 that has a top surface 32 that interfaces with a user. Moreover, the input device 10 further comprises a protuberance 28 in a side and a cylinder pillar 20 at a bottom. A supporting wall 14 fixed on the back plane 18 encloses the actuator 12, the supporting wall 14 comprises a slit 30 in accordance with the protuberance 28 for keeping in position the actuator 12. An elastic component 17 with a circular hole 22 in the center is located under the actuator 12, with the elastic component 17 further comprising four actuating pillars 16. The cylinder pillar 20 of the actuator 12 is slidably disposed in a groove 24 of the back plane 18. Furthermore, four pressure sensors 26 located under the four actuating pillars 16 of the back plane 18 measure pressure.
Please refer to FIG. 3 of a diagram of the input device 10 depressed by a user according to the prior art. When the user presses an upper surface 32 of the actuator 12, the actuator 12 heels by a groove 24 set on the back plane 18 as a fulcrum. As shown is FIG. 3, the actuator 12 inclines left to the figure and represses the actuating pillars 16 of the elastic component 17 to depress the sensor 26 set on the back plane 18, the sensor 26 transforms the depressing pressure into a sensing signal. After that time, a whole process of sensing is completed.
A defect of the input device 10 according to the prior art is that the groove 24 serves as a fulcrum for an operation of the actuator 12. The actuator 12 and the elastic component 17 of the prior input device 10 are both set above the fulcrum of the groove 24, so that a distance between the upper surface 32 of the input device 10 and the groove 24 needs to lengthen to locate the elastic component 17. Specifically, it not only needs a large displacement to move the actuator 12 for the user, but also needs more space to move the actuator 12. To allow for a movable space for the actuator 12, the input device 10 needs to be rigged around by a supporting wall 14. The result being more space needed for the whole input device 10.
Furthermore, the elastic component 17 provided for actuating the sensor 26 and supporting the actuator 12, has to be set up so that the actuator 12 has an elastic force restoring to an origin after the user used. Since the elastic component 17 is almost pure rubber, it has a high elasticity. The elastic component 17 can not provide an effective elastic function, and in addition, deformation of the actuating pillar 16 results in it not matching correctly with the sensor 26, so leading the input device 10 to fail.
It is therefore a primary objective of the present invention to provide an input device having characteristics of being cleverly designed and firm with a fulcrum installed in the middle.
In a preferred embodiment, the present invention includes an input device, the input device comprising:
a casing having at least an opening, a supporting base set on the casing, a base plate set within the casing, at least a pressure sensor set on the base plate, and an actuator movably set on the supporting base. Wherein the actuator comprises at least a touching point set within the opening and above the pressure sensor, so when a user presses the actuator and moves the touching point downwards, the touching point touches the pressure sensor to enable the pressure sensor to produce a corresponding sensing signal.
It is an advantage of the present invention that it provides an input device with a fulcrum at the actuator.
These and other objectives and the advantages of the present invention will no doubt become obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art after having read the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment, which is illustrated in the various figures and drawings.